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From the joyful triumph of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ to the pure poetry of ‘Good King Wenceslas’, here are the lyrics to 20 of the greatest Christmas carols ever written.
Even though we sing Christmas carols year after year, somehow we don’t get tired of them. Whether they want to make us dance around the tree, rock us into a gentle sleep by the fire, or get up and do some air-guiding for the whole family, Christmas carols have the incredible power to connect all the holidays throughout our lives.
Here are some of the best Christmas carol lyrics ever written to get you in the festive spirit.
While shepherds watched their flocks at night,
all sat on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down
and glory shone around.
Silent night, holy night!
Everything is calm, everything is clear.
Around Virgo, Mother and Child.
Holy child so tender and gentle,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
‘Silent Night’ performed by St Paul’s Cathedral Choir
We three kings of the East are;
with gifts that we cross far,
field and fountain, heath and mountain,
next star over there.
Omission:
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
leading westward, still advancing,
lead us into your perfect light.
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave me
A partridge in a pear tree.
On Boxing Day
My true love gave me
Two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Once in the city of Royal David
Stood in a simple cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger before His bed:
Mary was that gentle mother,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.
Malakai Bayoh sings angelic solo song ‘Once in Royal David’s City’
Ding Dong! cheerfully on high
The bells are ringing in heaven
Ding, dong! truly heaven
Is full of angel song
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis
O come, all of you faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come, oh come, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born as the King of Angels
O come, let us worship Him
O come, let us worship Him
O come, let us worship Him
Christ the Lord!
O holy night, the stars shine bright,
It is the night of the birth of the precious Savior;
Long lay the world languishing in sin and error,
‘Til it appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A tremor of hope that the weary world rejoices in,
For yonder dawns a new and glorious morning;
Choir
Fall on your knees, oh hear the angelic voices!
O divine night! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O divine night.
Aled Jones and Malakai M. Bayoh sing ‘O Holy Night’
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast day of Stephen,
When the snow was around it
Deep and clear and even;
That night the moon shone brightly
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came into view,
Gath’ring winter fuel.
God rest merry gentlemen
Don’t let anything discourage you
For Jesus Christ, our Savior
Born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we went astray
O messages of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O messages of comfort and joy
Listen! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
Seems to say it all
“Throw away worries.”
Christmas is here
Bring good courage
To young and old
Meek and bold
In the gloomy middle of winter
The icy wind groaned;
The earth was hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the gloomy middle of winter
Long time ago.
Braimah and Konya Kanneh-Mason perform ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ in medieval church
Listen! The herald angels sing:
“Glory to the newborn king!
Peace on earth and gentle mercy,
God and sinners are reconciled.”
Glad all nations rise,
Join the triumph of the sky,
Proclaim with the angelic host:
“Christ was born in Bethlehem.”
Listen! The herald angels sing:
“Glory to the newborn king!”
O come, oh come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
Who mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appears.
Be happy! Be happy! Emmanuel
Will come to you, O Israel.
Lully, lullaby, you little child,
Goodbye, lullaby, lullaby.
You little little child,
Goodbye, lullaby, lullaby.
Oh sisters, how can we do it?
To keep this day
This poor youth to whom we sing,
“Goodbye, lullaby, lullaby?”
Oh little town of Bethlehem
How quietly we see you lie
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars pass by
Yet shines in your dark streets
The eternal light
The hopes and fears of all those years
Are met in you tonight
O little town of Bethlehem – Winchester Quiristers
Away in a manger, no cradle for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the clear sky looked down where he lay,
The little gentleman Jesus sleeps on the hay.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both fully grown
Of all the trees in the forest
The holly bears the crown
Oh, the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
Playing the cheerful organ
Sweet singing in the choir
The first Nowell said the angel
Wash for certain poor shepherds in the fields as they lay;
As they lie in the fields tending their sheep,
On a cold winter night it was so deep.
Choir:
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
The king of Israel is born.
In dulci jubilo
Let’s show our tribute:
The joy of our hearts leans back
In pre-epio;
And like a bright star shines
Matris in gremio,
Alpha E flat and O!
‘In Dulci Jubilo’ by Praetorius, sung by Fair Oriana
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